We all know that IT contractors are in huge demand right now around the UK, but it seems that many of them may actually be confused.
How so? Well, new research has uncovered that many of these IT professionals are confused about the contracts they have with many of the leading tech firms.
As we all know, these umbrella contractors work on a temporary basis, many with contracts that range anywhere from a few days to a couple of months, although sometimes it can lead to a more permanent arrangement
The research suggests that 70% are confused about their contracts, with the majority of those surveyed admitting that they need help better understanding the written agreements they currently have.
To put it in plain English, a lot of these tech firms like to hide things away in the terms and conditions, and very often, this doesn’t work in the favour of IT contractors. It’s not uncommon to see contracts ended early or pay to be withheld, all because there is small print hidden away in the written agreement.
Let’s face it, the vast majority of umbrella contractors are not lawyers and do not have a law degree. This means they are often at a disadvantage when negotiating with these big firms and it is far too easy for them to get a deal that doesn’t benefit them.
I’ve been saying for years that umbrella contractors need more free support when it comes to negotiating their contracts, and it should be the government offering this kind of service.
Not only that, but watchdogs need to look more closely at the behaviour of some of these tech firms and their big powerful legal teams, who are usually more than happy to put the contracts completely in their favour, even if it means the IT professionals lose out.
Luckily, it appears that things are being done to help out those most in need. One example is a 3 part guide that has just been commissioned, which has the goal of solving many of the problems that umbrella contractors have when negotiating deals.
This is definitely a step in the right direction, and it just goes to show there are resources available for IT contractors, and any type of contractor, that wants to get more knowledge when it comes to the negotiating table.
Now of course, I’m not saying that everything should be in the contractors favour and that technology firms should just let them call all of the shots. It’s just that if the playing field is a bit more level then everything will become more fairer, which in the end should result in more productivity, which in turn is better for the economy.
At the end of the day, in this post Brexit world we need to be supporting each other more than ever, so that our country can get the economy it deserves once again.
